Broncos work out Miami basketball forward Erik Swoope

Posted By
Mike Klis
On
April 10, 2014 @ 4:03 pm
In
General Broncos,NFL draft,Tight End |
1 Comment

Broncos tight end Julius Thomas (Joe Amon, Denver Post file)

Think about the physical skills common with basketball power forwards and football tight ends.

Both are required to bang bodies in tight quarters. Both need to have strong hands to secure the ball while getting banged around. Both have to run with agility.

And so ever since Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates hit it big as college basketball forwards who successfully converted to pass-catching tight ends, the NFL has kept an eye on the college hardwoods.

The Broncos found a nice one three years ago in Julius Thomas. A four-year forward for Portland State, Thomas also played his senior year with the football team and wound up as the Broncos’ fourth-round pick in the 2011 draft.

The Broncos took a peek at another such prospect Thursday when they sent Atlantic area scout Nick Schiralli to work out former Miami Hurricane hoops forward Erik Swoope.

A sensational high school player from the Los Angeles area, Swoope was primarily a reserve for the Hurricanes, averaging 2.6 points and 1.7 rebounds in four years. He did start his final 10 games for the Canes.

But unlike Thomas and Jimmy Graham, another converted Miami basketball forward, Swoope never played college football.

It’s unlikely the Broncos would dress two former basketball-playing tight ends in the same game. Then again, Thomas is a free agent after this season and it’s possible Swoope could be stashed for a year or two. At 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, he would have to add at least 15 pounds of bulk.

Thomas, at 6-foot-5, 250 pounds, was scheduled to play plenty as a Broncos rookie in 2011 but suffered an early ankle injury that held him back for two seasons. He exploded in his third season of 2013, making 65 catches, including 12 for touchdowns, to earn a Pro Bowl berth.

Much more so than Thomas or Graham, Swoope is a longshot. But former basketball forwards with a desire to try the tight end position will always get a look.